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# Customer relations management (CRM) **(FREE)**

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/2256) in GitLab 14.6 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `customer_relations`. Disabled by default.
> - In GitLab 14.8 and later, you can [create contacts and organizations only in root groups](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/350634).
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/346082) in GitLab 15.0.
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/346082) in GitLab 15.1.

With customer relations management (CRM) you can create a record of contacts
(individuals) and organizations (companies) and relate them to issues.

Contacts and organizations can only be created for root groups.

You can use contacts and organizations to tie work to customers for billing and reporting purposes.
For more information about what is planned for the future, see [issue 2256](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/2256).

## Permissions

| Permission | Guest            | Reporter | Developer, Maintainer, and Owner |
| ---------- | ---------------- | -------- | -------------------------------- |
| View contacts/organizations | | ✓        | ✓ |
| View issue contacts |         | ✓        | ✓ |
| Add/remove issue contacts |   | ✓        | ✓ |
| Create/edit contacts/organizations | |   | ✓ |

## Enable customer relations management (CRM)

Customer relations management features must be enabled at the group level. If your
group also contains subgroups, and you want to use CRM features in the subgroup,
you must enable CRM features for the subgroup.

To enable customer relations management in a group or subgroup:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group or subgroup.
1. Select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select **Customer relations is enabled**.
1. Select **Save changes**.

## Contacts

### View contacts linked to a group

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To view a group's contacts:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer contacts**.

![Contacts list](crm_contacts_v14_10.png)

### Create a contact

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Developer role for the project.

To create a contact:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer contacts**.
1. Select **New contact**.
1. Complete all required fields.
1. Select **Create new contact**.

You can also [create](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationcustomerrelationscontactcreate)
contacts using the GraphQL API.

### Edit a contact

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Developer role for the project.

To edit an existing contact:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer contacts**.
1. Next to the contact you wish to edit, select **Edit** (**{pencil}**).
1. Edit the required fields.
1. Select **Save changes**.

You can also [edit](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationcustomerrelationscontactupdate)
contacts using the GraphQL API.

#### Change the state of a contact

Each contact can be in one of two states:

- **Active**: contacts in this state can be added to an issue.
- **Inactive**: contacts in this state cannot be added to an issue.

To change the state of a contact:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer contacts**.
1. Next to the contact you wish to edit, select **Edit** (**{pencil}**).
1. Select or clear the **Active** checkbox.
1. Select **Save changes**.

## Organizations

### View organizations

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To view a group's organizations:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer organizations**.

![Organizations list](crm_organizations_v14_10.png)

### Create an organization

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Developer role for the project.

To create an organization:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer organizations**.
1. Select **New organization**.
1. Complete all required fields.
1. Select **Create new organization**.

You can also [create](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationcustomerrelationsorganizationcreate)
organizations using the GraphQL API.

### Edit an organization

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Developer role for the project.

To edit an existing organization:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer organizations**.
1. Next to the organization you wish to edit, select **Edit** (**{pencil}**).
1. Edit the required fields.
1. Select **Save changes**.

You can also [edit](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationcustomerrelationsorganizationupdate)
organizations using the GraphQL API.

## Issues

If you use [Service Desk](../project/service_desk/index.md) and create issues from emails,
issues are linked to contacts matching the email addresses in the sender and CC of the email.

### View issues linked to a contact

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To view a contact's issues, select a contact from the issue sidebar, or:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer contacts**.
1. Next to the contact whose issues you wish to view, select **View issues** (**{issues}**).

### View issues linked to an organization

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To view an organization's issues:

1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your group.
1. Select **Plan > Customer organizations**.
1. Next to the organization whose issues you wish to view, select **View issues** (**{issues}**).

### View contacts linked to an issue

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

You can view contacts associated with an issue in the right sidebar.

To view a contact's details, hover over the contact's name.

![Issue contacts](issue_crm_contacts_v14_6.png)

You can also view issue contacts using the
[GraphQL](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationcustomerrelationsorganizationcreate)
API.

### Add or remove issue contacts

Prerequisites:

- You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

### Add contacts to an issue

To add [active](#change-the-state-of-a-contact) contacts to an issue use the `/add_contacts [contact:address@example.com]`
[quick action](../project/quick_actions.md).

You can also add, remove, or replace issue contacts using the
[GraphQL](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationissuesetcrmcontacts)
API.

### Remove contacts from an issue

To remove contacts from an issue use the `/remove_contacts [contact:address@example.com]`
[quick action](../project/quick_actions.md).

You can also add, remove, or replace issue contacts using the
[GraphQL](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md#mutationissuesetcrmcontacts)
API.

## Autocomplete contacts

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/2256) in GitLab 14.8 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `contacts_autocomplete`. Disabled by default.
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352123) in GitLab 15.0.
> - [Generally available](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352123) in GitLab 15.2. [Feature flag `contacts_autocomplete`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352123) removed.

When you use the `/add_contacts` quick action, follow it with `[contact:` and an autocomplete list with the [active](#change-the-state-of-a-contact) contacts appears:

```plaintext
/add_contacts [contact:
```

When you use the `/remove_contacts` quick action, follow it with `[contact:` and an autocomplete list with the contacts added to the issue appears:

```plaintext
/remove_contacts [contact:
```

## Moving objects with CRM entries

The root group is the topmost group in the group hierarchy.

When you move an issue, project, or group **in the same group hierarchy**,
issues retain their contacts.

When you move an issue or project and the **root group changes**,
issues lose their contacts.

When you move a group and its **root group changes**:

- All unique contacts and organizations are migrated to the new root group.
- Contacts that already exist (by email address) are deemed duplicates and deleted.
- Organizations that already exist (by name) are deemed duplicates and deleted.
- All issues retain their contacts or are updated to point at contacts with the same email address.

If you do not have permission to create contacts and organizations in the new
root group, the group transfer fails.
